Cat’s Eye Nebula

Two computer-coloured images of the Cat’s Eye Nebula (NGC 6543) made from data gathered by Earth-orbiting observatories. The left image was made in X-rays by the Chandra X-Ray Observatory; the right image is a superimposition of the Chandra image (rendered in purple tones) and a colour-enhanced image processed from visible-light observations made by the Hubble Space Telescope (in yellows, greens, and reds). The combined image reveals the position of hot, X-ray-emitting gas relative to the cooler material that is emitting in visible wavelengths. The Cat’s Eye, a planetary nebula, comprises expanding shells of gas that have been blown off by its central star, which is nearing the end of its life.